Draft-gear for vehicles



' No Model.)

G. M; RUST. DRAFT GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

Patented Dec. 10, 1889 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GRANVILL M. RUST, OF OlVENSVILLE, OHIO.

DRAFT-GEAR FOR VlEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,752, dated December 10, 1889. Application filed April 23, 1889. Serial No. 308,325. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GRANVILL M. RUST, a citizen of the United States,residing at Owensville, Clermont county, Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in a Combined Draft-Gear for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to road-vehicles that are provided with a combined draft-gear convertible from shafts for a single draft-animal to a pole gear for a team of animals, whereby the expense of duplicate gear may be avoided and the extra parts used in conversion may be carried in the vehicle and be always at hand.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts in a combined shaft and pole gear of simple and efiicient form, as hereinafter more fully described.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the gear arranged as shafts for asingle animal; Fig. 2, a perspective view of the same with the additional parts converted into a pole-gear for a team; Fig. 3, a detached view of the pole-extension; Fig. 4, a detached view of the clips for joining the shafts into a tongue and f urnishing a socket for the key-bolt; and Fig. 5, a detail of one of the shaft ends, showing construction.

Referring now to the drawings, A A designate the two shafts which, when joined together as hereinafter set forth, constitute the pole A. The two shafts are bolted at the rear to a bow B, carrying the thill-couplings, which always remain, together with the bow, permanently attached to the axle. The shafts are joined in front of the bow by a stout crossbrace C which in the pole-gear serves as a doubletree. Two pivoted tie-braces a to join the shafts diagonally to the bow B in rear of the cross-brace G, and are so placed as to serve a similar purpose when the shafts are thrown together into a tongue. These parts are individually constructed as follows:

Each shaft is provided at the extreme rear with extension-cleats b b, which slip over the bow B, and a retaining-bolt 0 through the cleats and bow secures all together. The shafts are beveled at their forward ends frpm within outward for the double purpose of facilitating the movements of the draft-animal and providing for the fit of the tongue-extension, as hereinafter described.

The diagonal braces a a are permanently pivoted to the bow B and shafts -A A as shown, and in the shaft relation are proportion ed and positioned to be drawn taut by the thrust action of the cross-brace O in forcing the shafts apart to assist in holding the parts taut to prevent rattling.

The crossbrace O is-a stout bar provided with terminal yokes d 07., adapted to slip backward over the tapering shafts and reach a close-fitting seat at the proper point against a shoulder provided upon the shafts. The yokes may be secured to the shaft by vertical bolts.

'e, passed through all and secured by a nut above or below; or, preferably, a holding and set-screw f may be passed through the terminal end of the yoke, seating in a socket in the outer side of the shaft, by which the shafts are firmly held against the end of the crossbrace C, and at the same time displacement is prevented; or both fastenings may be used. The cross-brace C is proportioned in length so as to practically wedge the shafts A A a little apart to hold the tie-braces a. a. in tenslon.

To convert the shaft-gear into a pole-gear, the bolts 0 c are removed, the set-screws f loosened, (and the bolt 6, if used, removed) and the cross-brace C slipped forward entirely clear of the shafts. The shafts are then swung toward each other and the cleats I) placed over' the bow with the rear of the shafts a little distance apart and the parts forced together, as shown in Fig. 2, to bring a tensionstrain on the tie-braces a a, as before. The shafts lie side by side, and held by upper and lower cap-plates g g and a bolt h, whose upper extension constitutes the pivot for the brace 0, now become a doubletree.

The pole extension A terminates in a wedge-shaped tongue 71, flanked by terminal wings j j of a socket ring 7t. Then the tongue-extension A is applied, the wedgeshaped tonguet' fits between the beveled ends of the shafts, the ends of the shafts pass into the socket-cavities of the ring 7.: at either side of the tongue 1', the fiat wings j j extend rearward at-the outsides of the shafts, and all are secured together by a horizontal bolt Z, passing through from side to side.

The singletrees are provided (preferably) with fixed piniles,which are passed downward through perforations in the yokes (Z d, and secured below by pins or nuts and washers, one of the singletrees being the same that is used with the shafts.

It will thus be seen that the only additional parts supplied for the pole-gear are the poleextension and its fastening-bolt, one singletree, and the cap-plates and their holdingbolt which constitutes the pivot for the doubletree, all of which together occupy so little space and are of such trifling Weight that they may be carried under the seat of a buggy or Wagon without inconvenience.

I claim as myinvention' and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. The combination, in a road-vehicle, of the bow B, the detachable shafts adapted to be united together into a pole for a team, the pivoted tie-braces a a, the extension-cleats b 19, secured to the rear ends of the shafts and detachably engaged with the bow B by bolts 0 c, the cross-brace 0, adapted to serve as a doubletree, the cap-plates g 9 and the bolt h, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, in a road-vehicle, of the bow B, the shafts A A provided with extension-cleats b b, detachably engaged with the bow by bolts 0 c, the diagonal tie-braces a a, the cross-brace 0, having yokes d d, and the set-screws f f, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GRANVILL M. RUST.

Witnesses:

F. V. RoUDEBUsH, L. II. MEDAN. 

